Helaman 16

(All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 green6/21 Brown 11/23) 

CHAPTER 16

The Nephites who believe Samuel are baptized by Nephi—Samuel cannot be slain with the arrows and stones of the unrepentant Nephites—Some harden their hearts, and others see angels—The unbelievers say it is not reasonable to believe in Christ and His coming in Jerusalem. About 6–1 B.C.

  1 And now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the ^awalls of the city. And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be ^bbaptized unto the Lord. Sometimes I forget that there were some who believed Samuel. But they had to make the effort to find Nephi (who had the authority to baptize? Was he their appointed leader? Did Samuel have authority to baptize?) 
  2 But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were ^aangry with him; too bad it doesn't say they just paid him no heed and turned and walked away....but no. They were angry and had to act on that anger  and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.
  3 Now when they saw that they could not hit him, there were many more who did believe on his words, insomuch that they went away unto Nephi to be baptized. God does allow for many paths to repentance. Such love and mercy He shows His children! Will people in our day get such mercy? If God is unchangeable, then the answer would have to be yes! When/What will this be? 
  4 For behold, Nephi was baptizing, and prophesying, and preaching, crying repentance unto the people, showing signs and wonders, working miracles among the people, so they had their own prophet preaching repentance and showing signs and wonders (why don't we have more record of this shared?) AND Samuel preaching that they might know that the Christ must ^bshortly come— Who will do this in our day? Who will cry repentance and prophesy and preach truth and show signs and wonders and work miracles among us so that we may know that Christ will shortly come???? In addition to Samuel's testimony and the miracle of him not being able to be hit/killed, we have Nephi who is showing more signs and wonders and miracles...all that they might believe. Seems like it really is to leave them without excuse when judgment comes. They wouldn't believe mercy when it was given to them. Maybe they will believe judgment...
  5 Telling them of things which must shortly come, that they might know and remember at the time of their coming that they had been made known unto them beforehand, to the intent that they might believe; does this mean there's a chance for repentance even as people see the signs and remember they were prophesied? Notice he prophesied of things that would "shortly" come to pass. They won't even have time to forget or deny it was said beforehand.  therefore as many as believed on the words of Samuel went forth unto him to be baptized, for they came repenting and confessing their sins. Sounds like Nephi was making the same prophecies as Samuel. "In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses...)
  6 But the ^amore part of them did not believe in the words of Samuel; therefore when they saw that they could not hit him with their stones and their arrows, they cried unto their captains, saying: ^bTake this fellow and bind him, for behold he  ^chath a devil; and because of the power of the devil which is in him we cannot hit him with our stones and our arrows; therefore take him and bind him, and away with him. They are so quick to believe in the devil and his power and so slow to believe in God and His power. Kind of crazy how satan doesn't care if the people he has following him don't know they are following him and even speak truthfully that the devil, who they are following, is bad. 
  7 And as they went forth to lay their hands on him, behold, he did cast himself down from the wall, and did flee out of their lands, yea, even unto his own country, and began to preach and to prophesy ^aamong his own people. Samuel is not discouraged in the least with his success or failure. He just continues to preach and warn. Also, it sounds like he's not a Lamanite living among the Nephites with Nephi. He came from a different "country". Or...could just be saying that he went to "his own people" next.
  8 And behold, he was never heard of more among the Nephites; and thus were the affairs of the people. The Nephites only had one chance to hear Samuel, then he was taken from them and sent to his own people. Will the end time servant be a Lamanite and do the same among the Gentiles? Preach repentance, few believe, and then go preach to the Lamanites, who are prophesied to convert by the thousands? Is the fact he was "never heard of" again one of the reasons why his prophesy was not written once it was fulfilled? Did they forget about him because he wasn't around anymore? Was he translated? 
  9 And thus ended the eighty and sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
 10 And thus ended also the eighty and seventh year of the reign of the judges, the more part of the people remaining in their pride and wickedness, and the lesser part walking more circumspectly before God.
 11 And these were the conditions also, in the eighty and eighth year of the reign of the judges.
 12 And there was but little alteration in the affairs of the people, save it were the people began to be more hardened in iniquity, and do more and more of that which was ^acontrary to the commandments of God, in the eighty and ninth year of the reign of the judges. Unfortunately, it seems like we are seeing more and more of "that which is contrary to the commandments of God" happening among our people. 
 13 But it came to pass in the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges, there were ^agreat signs given unto the people, and wonders; and the words of the prophets ^bbegan to be fulfilled.
 14 And ^aangels did appear unto men, wise men, and did declare unto them glad tidings of great joy; thus in this year the scriptures began to be fulfilled. This is just a short verse and it isn't elaborated upon. But think of it...angels were appearing to "wise men" and declaring unto them "glad tiding of great joy". That phrase is used in the announcement of the birth of Christ to the shepherds. Was this their message? How did these people qualify to be "wise men"? This might be a leap...but were these "wise men" the same "wise men" that traveled from the East to see the Christ child? They would have a couple of years to get there...
 15 Nevertheless, the people began to harden their hearts, all save it were the most believing part of them, both of the Nephites and also of the Lamanites, and began to depend upon their ^aown strength and upon their own wisdom, saying: 
 16 Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass, of which has been spoken. So we know that all the people saw the signs and wonders and they all were aware of the prophecies. I think many will explain away whatever signs/wonders we get by things like climate change and manipulation by man or even UFO's...
 17 And they began to reason and to contend among themselves, saying:
 18 That it is ^anot reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come; if so, and he be the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, as it has been spoken, why will he not show himself unto us as well as unto them who shall be at Jerusalem? Umm....He is going to show Himself to you...has this not been prophesied? 
 19 Yea, why will he not show himself in this land as well as in the land of Jerusalem?
 20 But behold, we know that this is a wicked ^atradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far distant, a land which we know not; therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot ^bwitness with our own eyes that they are true. Just wondering after all these hundreds of years if anyone thought to try to return to Jerusalem to verify that Christ was born and lived and died who would then return and tell them it was so. Maybe they hadn't figured out how to navigate and didn't know where to go...I don't think they wanted to know, so they wouldn't make that effort.
 21 And they will, by the cunning and the mysterious arts of the evil one, work some great mystery which we cannot understand, which will keep us down to be servants to their words, and also servants unto them, for we depend upon them to teach us the word; and thus will they keep us in ignorance if we will yield ourselves unto them, all the days of our lives. So satan has power to do miracles and great works but not God? Here is another example of "the one who accuses, abuses...". They are the ones who set up kings and servants! 
 22 And many more things did the people ^aimagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and ^bvain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading ^crumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come. In our day this looks like the media who try to control the narrative and control what people hear and believe. 
 23 And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were wrought among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which they did, Satan did get great hold upon the hearts of the people upon all the face of the land. What were these signs and wonders and miracles? Miracles really do not convert in and of themselves or all would have believed. Perhaps it is a merciful act by God for those who have been taught wrong, but have good hearts. Those who choose evil will deny the miracles and not be "saved" by them.
 24 And thus ended the ninetieth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
25 ^aAnd thus ended the book of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman and his sons.